A guide to Phuket's beaches
Start from who you are, not from the map: a family, a quiet week, a night out, a board, a mask. Then the shortlist, the season, the drive.
Four coasts, 26 beaches on the island and 1 more across the bridge: the long west-coast sands of the sunset, the sheltered bays of the south, the calm east. In Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice (opens in a new window), Banana Beach — is one of the world’s top ten beaches.
Where
What kind of beach
27 beaches, north to south. Press a type to keep only its beaches.
From the runway's end to the first headlands: the longest sand on the island and the fewest people on it.
Phuket's northernmost beach: fine white sand, one restaurant, bridge views
Fine white sand
No home to rent now
Phuket's longest beach: empty sand, turtle nests and planes over the runway end
White, slightly coarse sand
No home to rent now
A shallow, shaded bay by the airport, with dinner tables on the sand
White sand, shaded by casuarinas
No home to rent now
A quiet, tree-shaded bay with soft sand, sunsets and snorkelling off the rocks
Fine, soft golden sand
No home to rent now
A small palm-lined cove with clear water and fish around the rocks
Soft, pale sand under the palms
No home to rent nowThe classic bays, one after another between headlands.
A quiet, shaded bay at the north end of Bang Tao, with a wooded island and sunsets
Soft golden sand under casuarinas
No home to rent nowSix kilometres of soft sand, beach clubs and the Laguna resorts
A small, near-private cove shared by two legendary resorts
Deep, soft white sand
No home to rent now
Soft pale sand and turquoise water, cleared of vendors and back to nature
Soft, pale sand
No home to rent now
A near-empty cove below the boulders, reached by boat or a rock walk from Surin
Soft golden sand below granite boulders
No home to rent now
A long, calm family bay with beachfront restaurants and a sunset beach club
Soft, pale golden sand
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A rocky surf bay just north of Patong, with street food and sunset restaurants
Coarse sand over rocks and coral rubble
No home to rent now
Phuket's busiest beach: soft sand by day, Bangla Road by night
Soft sand, softest at the north end
No home to rent now
A paid beach club in two small bays south of Patong, with Full Moon parties
Soft white sand under coconut trees
No home to rent now
A quiet bay just south of Patong, with hillside cafés over the water
Light grey sand, rocks at low tide
No home to rent now
A white-sand cove south of Patong, by longtail or a steep jungle trail
Soft white sand in a small crescent
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A small white-sand cove between Patong and Karon, kept quiet by Le Meridien
Soft white sand under tall coconut trees
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Three kilometres of squeaky white sand, open sunsets and space to spare
White sand that squeaks underfoot
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Soft sand, a blue bay and Koh Pu offshore: Phuket's family and surf beach
Soft, pale sand with Koh Pu offshore
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A quiet bay of soft white sand below Karon Viewpoint, with sunset bars above
Soft white sand in a quiet bay
No home to rent nowCapes and coves round the island's tip; the sheltered bays of the monsoon.
Three tiny coves among the boulders next to Nai Harn, made for snorkelling
Coarse sand among granite boulders
No home to rent now
Soft white sand between green hills, casuarinas and yachts at anchor
Soft, smooth white sand under casuarinas
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Phuket's seafood harbour: longtails, a fish market and islands offshore
Narrow, rocky shore with gravel and shells
No home to rent now
A tiny cove below Windmill Viewpoint with snorkelling, kayaks and Koh Man offshore
Soft white sand between rocky points
No home to rent nowThe calm side: shallow water, mangroves, the piers to the islands.
The island beach next to Phuket Town: seafood, picnic tables and sunrise
Sand with patches of mud
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A sheltered east-coast bay that stays calm when the west coast is rough
Soft sand under tall palm trees
No home to rent nowBeyond the island: the beaches of Phang Nga with a page on the site.
Wide, empty golden sand just across the bridge from Phuket
Fine, pale golden sand
No home to rent nowStart here
The season
The high season — November to April
The dry months: a flat sea on the west coast, the sand wide, the sunsets clear. December to March is the peak inside it — the fullest beaches and the highest prices.
The low season — May to October
The south-west monsoon: waves and red flags on the west coast on rough days; the east and south coasts stay sheltered. Short showers, green hills, empty beaches.
What the season costs
Short stays follow the calendar — the same home costs more by the night in December than in September; a lease smooths it. The figures: the rentals block below.
The year, drawn
Hover or tab onto a month for its figures.
When to come: the high season, November to April — the west coast at its calmest and the most sunny days; January is the sunniest, 27 of its 31 days without rain. The peak, December to March: the fullest beaches and the highest prices.
The low season, May to October: the west coast has its rough days — June is the roughest, 100% of the bars’ scale — and September is the dullest, 7 of its 30 days without rain. The east and the south stay sheltered: their roughest low-season month, June, reaches 58% of the scale.
A good sea in every month
A sheltered east-coast bay that stays calm when the west coast is rough
The one beach whose page marks the sea good in all twelve months: sheltered from the monsoon, a swim in the low season as in the high.
Read the pageRent
6 priced homes on 1 beach today; one-month long stays, the average per beach over the homes counted.
Apartments, any bedrooms, one month from November 2026: the average per beach, the cheapest first — over the homes each card counts; that line opens the beach’s catalog page with the same choice in a new tab.
Side by side
| Laem Sing BeachSoft golden sand below granite boulders | — | — | west | 0.4 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nai Thon BeachFine, soft golden sand | — | — | north-west | 1.1 | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Karon BeachWhite sand that squeaks underfoot | — | — | west | 3.4 | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Koh Sirey BeachSand with patches of mud | — | — | east | — | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Surin BeachSoft, pale sand | — | — | west | 0.9 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Kata BeachSoft, pale sand with Koh Pu offshore | — | — | west | 1.5 | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Paradise BeachSoft white sand under coconut trees | — | — | west | 0.1 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Mai Khao BeachWhite, slightly coarse sand | — | — | north-west | 10 | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Natai BeachFine, pale golden sand | — | — | north-west | — | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Layan BeachSoft golden sand under casuarinas | — | — | west | 0.5 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Banana BeachSoft, pale sand under the palms | — | — | north-west | 0.2 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Bang Tao BeachSoft, light-golden sand | 6 | ฿35,000 – ฿180,000 (opens in a new window) | west | 5.8 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Kata Noi BeachSoft white sand in a quiet bay | — | — | west | 0.7 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Nai Harn BeachSoft, smooth white sand under casuarinas | — | — | south | 0.7 | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Ao Yon BeachSoft sand under tall palm trees | — | — | east | 1.1 | All year round |
| Rawai BeachNarrow, rocky shore with gravel and shells | — | — | south | 1.1 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Tri Trang BeachLight grey sand, rocks at low tide | — | — | west | 0.7 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Nai Yang BeachWhite sand, shaded by casuarinas | — | — | north-west | 1.3 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Kalim BeachCoarse sand over rocks and coral rubble | — | — | west | 0.2 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Karon Noi Beach (Relax Bay)Soft white sand under tall coconut trees | — | — | west | 0.4 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Pansea BeachDeep, soft white sand | — | — | west | 0.5 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Ao Sane BeachCoarse sand among granite boulders | — | — | south | 0.2 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Kamala BeachSoft, pale golden sand | — | — | west | 2 | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Patong BeachSoft sand, softest at the north end | — | — | west | 2.7 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Ya Nui BeachSoft white sand between rocky points | — | — | south | 0.2 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Freedom BeachSoft white sand in a small crescent | — | — | west | 0.4 | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Sai Kaew BeachFine white sand | — | — | north-west | 1.3 | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
Questions
Read first
The 5 busiest beaches by the crowd scale of their pages (the stored “lively” mark, 1–5), the busiest first.
Phuket's busiest beach: soft sand by day, Bangla Road by night
Crowds5 of 5
A paid beach club in two small bays south of Patong, with Full Moon parties
Crowds4 of 5
Six kilometres of soft sand, beach clubs and the Laguna resorts
Crowds3 of 5
Three kilometres of squeaky white sand, open sunsets and space to spare
Crowds3 of 5
Soft sand, a blue bay and Koh Pu offshore: Phuket's family and surf beach
Crowds3 of 5